


Prompt Fics

by Andromedas_Void



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Ficlets, M/M, One Word Prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-13 05:36:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16886622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andromedas_Void/pseuds/Andromedas_Void
Summary: Just some ficlets written with one word prompts. AU and non-AU.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, things happened and I went kinda on a writing hiatus. I visited my family back in the states in mid October, came home and had a long winded bout of depression and lack of motivation hit me hard. To try and get out of it, I started and subsequently beat Horizon Zero Dawn in two weeks. I'm back now, using these little prompts to get me back into the swing of things. I haven't given up on any of my chaptered fics and hopefully I'll have them all updated by the end of December.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AUs featured: 'Zombies' and 'Modern Day' as well as in game universe.

**-Fear-**

“This doesn't seem safe,” Prompto said, warily eyeing up the plank of wood stretched between the two buildings. He crept over to the edge of the roof, peeking over and gulping.

“It's only the second floor,” Gladio grumbled, adjusting the wood carefully.

Prompto winced at the annoyance in his voice, knowing it was aimed at both Noctis and him. They were the ones who didn't properly check the building for the undead, didn't make absolutely sure the doors and windows were secure before giving the 'all clear'. Now the four men were stranded on the roof of the pharmacy with far less supplies than they had hoped to gather.

Ignis stepped forward, hand lightly brushing over the blond's shoulder. He nodded once, eyes soft behind scratched glasses, though it did nothing to calm his nerves. “We managed to gather the antibiotics we needed for Iris as well as enough of the basics to hopefully keep the first aid box filled for a few months.”

Gladio grunted in response and stood up. “I'll go first.”

“Better do it fast, we're gonna have company soon,” Noctis rushed out. His head whipped back to face the roof access door just as a heavy object thudding against it. “Like, now!” He shoved Prompto forward, closer to the edge and the plank.

Prompto whimpered but forced his feet to keep moving, no matter how much they wanted to dig into the rough texture of the roof. He watched as Gladio cleared the plank in seconds, Ignis following right after, the board shaking and groaning under the strain. Placing a foot on the edge of the roof had the ground below him swaying. “Oh man,” he gulped. “Oh fu-”

“Prompto! Come on!” Gladio shouted.

Noctis gave him another shove, his foot touching down on the wood, and the door behind them banged open, bodies spilling out, tripping over each other.

A rough hand grabbed Prompto by the wrist and yanked. He jerked forward, losing his footing and collapsing onto the roof. Ignis' scuffed shoes was the first thing he saw when he could finally focus and the sound of his blood rushing finally left his ears.

There was a clattering as the plank hit the ground below and Prompto's blood went cold. “N-noct?”

“Let's never do that again,” Noctis sighed. “You okay, Prom?”

“We wouldn't have had to do it a first time if you two idiots knew how to check a building properly,” Gladio growled, but his anger had simmered down. Mostly.

Ignis waved him down, turning away from the pharmacy. He had the backpack, pills in plastic bottles shaking and rattling about, over his shoulder. “What's done is done. We'll just have to be more careful next time, and one of _us_ should always check the building with them,” he said, pointing at their youngest companions. “Let's hurry back to the safehouse. Hopefully Iris' fever has broke by now.”

**-Street-**

It still looked the same. Even after ten years, it still looked the exact same.

The tall wall that curved around the corner, the tree across the lane (although it was now devoid of any sort of foliage), paint chipping off the mailbox, the deep pothole in the pavement that the government promised to fix before the winter set in.

The only real difference was the current inhabitants of the street.

Gone were his elderly neighbors, who always baked some sort of dessert for him and his family every weekend. The young couple with the newborn was nowhere to be seen, their house empty and dark. There was no longer the pair of fluffy dogs a few doors down, barking happily at the mail truck, joggers, their owner when she came home from work.

Now all that remained was the daemons and the darkness.

Prompto took one last look down the street, watching as a pair of nagas slithered down an alleyway, the same one he used when he was in middle school. He let out a slow breath and turned away, shoulders dropping as he made his way back over to the others.

They still had a ways to go before reaching the Citadel.

**-Uninformed-**

He checked his watch again, lips pressed into a thin line as he waited. The school had mostly cleared out, only a small trickle of students were left, Noctis nowhere among them.

Ignis glanced back down to his watch. Only forty three seconds had passed since he last looked. Seventeen minutes since the bell had rung and eleven minutes since the prince usually showed up at Ignis' car, his new friend increasingly in tow.

He gave Noctis five more minutes before he pulled out his phone, speed dialling his number.

Three rings. Four rings. Five.

Panic started to rise in his throat as he listened. The call went to voicemail and Ignis immediately called Gladio.

_”Sup, Iggy?”_

“Is Noct with you?” Ignis asked, voice just a touch higher than usual. It was enough for Gladio to pick up on.

 _”No. Iggy, calm down and tell me what happened.”_ Gladio said. 

Ignis took a breath, held it for five seconds, and let it out slowly. “It's been almost twenty five minutes since the bell rang. Noct hasn't come out of the building. I would have gotten a call if he was being held after,” he explained. “I also haven't seen his friend, Prompto, either.”

 _”You don't think the blond kid could have gotten him to skip, do you?”_ Gladio wondered outloud.

“Unlikely,” Ignis hummed. “I've briefly reviewed his attendance record when Noctis first befriended him and it's nearly as perfect as Noct's own. Oh- I've got a call coming in.” Pulling the phone away from his ear, Ignis stared in disbelief at the display as it showed Noctis' name and photo. “It's Noct! I'll call you back.”

He hung up before Gladio could object, answering the call from the prince.

“Noctis, where are you?”

 _”I sent you a text an hour ago,”_ Noctis grumped through the phone. _”Prompto got hurt in gym, doctor said it's a fractured wrist, and his parents weren't available so I went with him to the hospital.”_

Ignis frowned. “I never received a text from you,” he said, slipping into the car and closing the door. He put the call on speaker and opened his text messages, going to the conversation with Noctis. “Your last message to me was two days ago.”

 _”That can't be right.”_ There was silence for a few seconds and Ignis presumed Noctis was checking his own chat log. _”Dammit, it didn't send. Hold on.”_ There was the sound of a soft click before a message came through, a photo of the conversation with a red 'Message not sent' at the bottom. _”Sorry, I thought it sent and didn't think to check.”_

“No matter,” Ignis said, the matter dropping along with his heartrate. “Which hospital are you at?” He restarted the car, pulling back onto the street.

 _”Crown South. We're in the main waiting area, uh, the emergency one,”_ Noctis told him. _”Prom's parents won't be home until seven so I told him he could stay at mine until then.”_

Ignis frowned at that. “I wish you had of confirmed that with me before promising him,” he said, mildly annoyed. There was nothing he could do, Noctis had already agreed and Ignis would be hesitant to leave the injured boy alone, even if it was for a few hours. Letting out a sigh with a shake of his head, he relented, “Very well. I'll be there in fifteen minutes.”

 **-Sustainability-**

Standing with a grunt, Gladio wiped his gloved hands over his pants, smearing dirt across the worn out denim. He smiled down at the newly sown rows of seeds, seeds that will become hardy fruits and vegetables. The artifical sun bulbs overhead flickered softly as the sprinkler system switched on.

He glanced over towards the greenhouse door and gave Ignis a quick nod.

“How're the other greenhouses doin'?”

“So far, so good,” Ignis replied. He pulled off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes, exhaustion hitting him hard. “Although I fear three greenhouses won't be enough for Lestallum's steadily increasing population, it will have to do for now.”

“Cid was sayin' Cidney and him were workin' on more lights for here and Old Lestallum,” Gladio informed him, moving for the door.

Ignis shut the door behind them, the glass blocking out the sound of the sprinklers. “Holly will be thrilled to hear about that. Her team have been working on optimizing the power from the facility to cater to the new daemon repellent lights.”

 **-Sensitive-**

“Woah.”

Noctis flinched at the voice, fingers tightening around his shirt. “Ever heard of knocking?” he snipped, quickly tugging his shirt over his head, hiding his exposed skin - hiding his scars - from the prying eyes. 

“Noct, dude,” Prompto breathed out.

When Noctis finally turned his head to glare, he saw the blond standing in the doorway, hand still on the knob, eyes wide, jaw slack. “I don't wanna talk about it,” he stated firmly.

Prompto shifted out of the way, the door opening wider. “Is that why you jump away when someone gets too close to you?” he asked.

“I said I don't wanna talk about it,” Noctis scowled.

“But-”

“Drop it, please,” Noctis said. He brushed past his friend when he remained quiet, heading out into the hall.

Prompto followed after him, a few steps behind. He paused at the entrance to the living room and Noctis caught him fiddling with his thick wristband, tugging at the material.

It was something he had noticed Prompto doing a lot more often, usually accompanied by him readying himself to say something only to stop at the last second. Thinking back, Noctis couldn't remember a time when his friend hadn't worn some sort of band over his wrist, always the right but sometimes the left as well.

Prompto bit his lip and scratch at the back of his calf with his foot.

“My back,” Noctis started, startling him. Taking a deep breath, Noctis dropped to the couch and continued. “I was... attacked. When I a kid.” He watch Prompto take a few steps closer, focussing on his friend and not the memories trying to worm their way into his brain. “I nearly died. Doctors said it was a miracle I didn't, and an even bigger miracle when I started relearning how to walk a few years after.”

“Shit,” Prompto whispered. He had reached the couch, carefully sitting down but still keeping his distance.

Noctis let out a hollow laugh. “Yeah.” He ran his hand through his hair. “It's... I still have some nerve damage so my back is pretty sensitive to touch. Not to mention the scar you saw isn't exactly something I want other people to see,” he said, eyes drifting down to Prompto's wrists.

Prompto noticed and slid his hands between his knees, hiding them from view.

“I'd prefer if you didn't tell anyone,” Noctis went on, glancing back up at Prompto's face. “I don't need anyone's pity nor do I want journalists digging into my past any more than they already do.”

“O-of course!” Prompto quickly agreed. “Hey, are we... are we still gonna go to the movies tonight?”

Noctis smiled softly and nodded. He hoped one day Prompto would be comfortable enough to talk about his wristband and what was hidden beneath it, but it appeared that day was still yet to come.

 **-Liar-**

“Silly Cat! Come here!” Noctis shouted across the gardens, hands cupped around his mouth. He waited as patiently as a six year old could before puffing out his cheeks and shouting again. “Silly Cat!”

“Highness, perhaps she's... out with her friends?” he suggested, trying to keep Noctis from yelling again. He had been informed the prince's cat, previously a stray who had wandered into the Citadel gardens, hadn't been seen for a good few days, her whereabouts still unknown.

“Liar!” Noctis shouted, poking Ignis hard in the chest.

The words shocked Ignis, said with such intensity and conviction, coupled with Noctis' tear filled eyes and red cheeks.

“Where is Silly Cat?!” he demanded.

“I-I don't-”

“Where is she?!” Noctis stamped his foot in the grass and Ignis saw a few staff members staring, whispering to each other behind their hands.

Ignis shook his head, unsure what to tell the prince, when a hand patted him on the shoulder.

“Dad! Where's Silly Cat? She won't come to me!” Noctis cried as Regis bent down, resting one knee on the grass to be at his son's level. “Is she- she-”

“No, no, son,” Regis said. He wiped the free flowing tears from Noctis' face and gave him a soft smile. “Silly Cat is just fine. Come with me. I have something to show you.”

Sniffling loudly, Noctis wiped his nose on his shirt sleeve just as Ignis offered him a handkerchief. He took it and blew his nose loudly, earning a fond chuckle from Regis.

Ignis trailed after the two, just behind Noctis, as they were lead into the garden's maintenance shed. 

A small box lay in the corner, tiny squeaks slipping out of its cardboard walls. A head popped out, orange and white, and regarded them for a moment before letting out a soft meow.

“Silly Cat!” Noctis exclaimed, rushing over to the box. He crouched down and gasped, lowering his voice as he excitedly whispered, “You had babies!”

As Ignis crept closer, he peered into the box over Noctis' shoulder and spotted four kittens, barely a week old, snuffling about and squeaking. Three had their mother's markings and the last was pure white.

“She did. The head gardener found them this morning and set up the box for her before informing me,” Regis told him, watching as Noctis carefully reached out and let the kittens sniff at his fingers before petting their heads. “It seems this is where she's been hiding out recently.”

Silly Cat sniffed at Noctis' outstretched hand before rubbing her head into his fingers, purring loudly. “I'm happy she's okay,” Noctis smiled.

 **-Human-**

The mirror showed him a face that was exactly like his own but not.

The nose, the chin, the eyebrows, even the tiny scar on his cheek from the first time he tried shaving. 

His mother had caught him when he was nine, razor in hand, a small nick on his cheek, and tears streaming down his face. She had dried his eyes, placed a bandaid over the cut, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He still remembered the bandaid, pale yellow with bright green cactuars and far too big for such a little cut but it had made him feel a thousand times better.

Everything in the mirror was the same. It was his face. Except for the eyes. 

Red eyes stared back at him. Lifeless but glowing vibrantly, staring into his very soul.

The eyes of something not quite human. The eyes of something he could have been. Something he should have been. The eyes of a Magitek Soldier.

A soft whoosh shook him from his thoughts, eyes darting over to the bathroom door. Noctis' own dark blue eyes stared back at him, a softness in them that seemed to speak volumes.

“I'm okay,” Prompto whispered, turning back to the mirror.

His own light blue eyes replaced the red ones. Or maybe they were never there at all. Turning away again from the sink, Prompto smiled a small smile.

“I'll be okay.”

**-Ring-**

Such a tiny thing, so small in the palm of his hand. Dull black metal and gold incased the shining white crystal, the figure of the Founder King across the center, hands folder over the gemstone.

How did such a miniscule ring carry a heavy weight in his hand, burning, freezing, drowning, _numbing_ his senses?

It became one with the body when worn, seeming to latch onto the soul, draining life to feed its own power, stealing life when it was used.

Scarring. Burning. Decaying.

One day it would bleed him dry, take everything from him and leave him empty, just ash on the wind.

 _Not today,_ Noctis gritted his teeth, clutching his wrist in hand, watching as his skin went from ashen grey to pink to pale. The echoing clanking of MTs and daemons in the keep once more filled his ears, replacing the sound of his own heartbeat. _It won't take me today._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AUs featured in this chapter are: 'Space' and 'Modern Day' as well as in game universe.

**-Vacation-**

Soft puff of clouds dotted the blue sky and a gentle breeze blew through the alleyways of the historic city. Heavy canvas awnings billowed over the store fronts. Wide windows were filled with delicious looking baked goods, colorul handmade soaps, and even a few souvenir shops displaying miniture models of the iconic Fenestala Castle.

The castle itself sat far back in the distance, atop a tall hill, roads winding like snakes through the sprawling city below.

Prompto snapped a few photos of the castle in the midday sun, Noctis waiting patiently, holding the blond's sandwich. “You think we could go to the castle tomorrow?” he asked, turning back to take his sandwich.

“I'm sure I can work something out,” Noctis smiled. He bit at the inside of his lip, taking Prompto's hand in his as they started back down the boulevard. “Y'know, there's an old saying that people who get married in Tenebrae are blessed by the gods to have long, happy marriages.”

Prompto nearly choked on his sandwich when he gasped, staring in awe at his boyfriend.

Noctis flushed and rubbed at the back of his neck, cursing himself for saying something so stupid. He shoved his free hand in his pocket, wishing he could do the same with the other as it went clammy and cold in Prompto's.

“Dude,” Prompto started slowly, picking out his words. “Are you proposing to me?”

“Um-” he stammered, looking away, towards a small flower shop. The window display had bouquets of various sizes and colors. It wasn't helping his nerves. “Maybe?”

Prompto chuckled softly, fingers squeezing Noct's. “I'm not gonna say 'yes' to a 'maybe',” he told him, tugging Noct closer. “But I think if you work on your delivery a little, maybe a change of scenery, then a 'yes' will definitely be the answer.”

“You...” Noctis froze, eyes darting over to Prompto, searching his face for any sign that he was joking. “You mean that?” he asked, voice soft, cracking slightly on the last word.

Prompto nodded. He placed a quick kiss on Noctis' cheek and tugged on his hand again, getting the other man to start walking. “Course, this means we'll have to plan another vacation to Tenebrae, which I won't complain about.”

**-Space-**

Gladio always assumed space was filled with light, what with all the stars and galaxies and nebulae but he was learning quickly that space was dark. And quiet as the grave.

He could see stars at a distance, spaced out and light years away, but their light didn't truly reach their little space ship as it drifted through the endless vacuum.

Stood in the pitch black of the living area, Gladio placed a hand on the glass. He nearly yanked it back from the chill, instead slowly splaying out his fingers, trying to put a star underneath each fingertip. They were spaced too far apart and his hand strained from the effort.

The overhead light flickered to life, garnering Gladio's attention as another person stepped closer.

“What are we doin' out here, Iggy?” he asked, voice low, tired. “Lookin' for some phantom weapons that may not even exist? Gods that don't care about what happens to life on any planet? Peace?”

“Hope,” Ignis replied, just as quiet. He gently laid a hand on Gladio's shoulder, smoothing it down his bare back. “And I suppose peace, as well.”

Gladio snorted. He snatched his hand from the glass and turned, dislodging Ignis' hand. “What if we don't find anythin'? What if we're too late if we do? What if we-”

Ignis' fingers touched his lips, silencing him instantly. “We've only just started our journey,” he said, sliding his fingertips down, over Gladio's bottom lip, his eyes following the trail. “His Majesty will do everything in his power to give us enough time and Lucis isn't defenseless in this war.”

“But-” Gladio started only to have Ignis shush him.

The younger man took a small step, crowding Gladio against the window. His hands were placed on Gladio's pecs, lazily sliding up around his neck. “Let's go back to bed,” he requested. “We have a while yet before we reach the first planet on His Majesty's list.”

Gladio let out a breath, body relaxing in Ignis' hold. He could feel the cold seeping through the glass, doing its damndest to numb his back. He slipped his arms around Ignis' waist and gave him a small smile. Leaning down, he gave the man a slow kiss, humming softly. “Okay, you win.”

“I always do.”

**-Mistake-**

“Yo, dad. I'm on my way home now,” Prompto said upon answering his phone.

Silence met his words and he frowned, pulling the phone from his ear. The call was still in session.

“Dad? You there?”

_”You're not my son,”_ an unrecognisable voice said softly.

“And you don't sound like my dad,” Prompto stated. He looked both ways at the crosswalk before striding across the road. “Did you dial the wrong number? No, wait, the caller ID said 'dad'.” He paused, stepping off to the side of the path and tapping the toe of his shoe on the sidewalk. His eyes widened in an instant, mind filling up with all the worst case scenarios. “What did you do to my dad?” he demanded, failing to keep the waver from his voice.

_”Please calm down, young man,”_ the man on the line said, keeping his own voice even. _”I believe this may merely be a case of lost property.”_

“Lost property?” Prompto frowned deeply. He wondered if that meant the man had found his dad's phone somewhere.

“Hey! Hey, you!” 

Prompto turned to the voice, freezing instantly when none other than the prince ran up to him, skidding to a halt. “P-prince Noctis?”

He held a hand to his side as he caught his breath, the other hand held a black phone. Prince Noctis winced slightly when he stood up straight, holding the phone out to Prompto. “I think you took my phone by mistake,” he said.

When Prompto shook his head dumbly, the prince pressed the lockscreen button and the phone came to life, displaying its wallpaper. A photo of a nine year old Prompto riding his first chocobo at the city fair.

The blond flushed brightly, fingers tightening around the phone still to his ear. Prince Noctis' phone. And Prince Noctis' dad was still on the line. _The King_ was still on the line! “Ah! I-I'm so sorry!” he blurted out, apologising profusely. He could hear a soft chuckle as he ripped the phone away from his ear, holding it out in a shaky hand. “Y-your d-dad, um- the king is... uh...”

The phones switched hands, Prompto nearly dropping his own in his haste. It took him three tries to shove it in his pocket, still apologising.

Prince Noctis waved his hand lightly, putting his phone to his ear. He pursed his lips for a few seconds, saying, “You done yet?”

Prompto jittered in his place, wondering if he should leave the prince to his call. Maybe if he ran he could escape whatever the punishment was for stealing, even by accident, from the prince.

“I'll be there,” Prince Noctis said, humming softly. “Bye. Hey, calm down, will you?” he said, although it may as well have been an order for how keyed up Prompto was.

He heard the prince sigh loudly and Prompto's eyes snapped back to him, willing his body to remain still. Sure he shared a couple of classes with the prince, had since sixth grade, but being alone, relatively speaking, with the prince was a whole different story.

“You're not in trouble,” Noctis told him. He scratched at his nose, glancing away. Prompto's eyes followed, spotting a black car just down the block. “Look, it was a simple mistake. Our phones look pretty damn similar. No harm done, okay?”

“Says you. You're not the commoner who practically accused the king of kidnapping your dad,” Prompto babbled. “Oh Gods! I accused the king of kidnapping! Please don't have me arrested!”

Noctis pinched his lips together, stifling a laugh. He covered his mouth with his hand as he spoke. “Actually, dad thought it was kinda funny. But seriously,” he said, dropping his hand to his side, “you're not in trouble. Just make sure you check it's your phone before taking it next time?”

Prompto nodded quickly, almost dropping into a bow. He caught himself at the last second, letting out a nervous laugh. “Um, t-thanks. And, again, sorry.”

With a wave of his hand, Noctis took a step backwards. “No worries,” he smiled, just a slight turn up of the corner of his lips. “Bye.”

Prompto waved slowly, watching the prince turn and jog off towards the black car, climbing into the backseat.

**-Revealing-**

“ _Gods,_ ” Gladio breathed, barely above a whisper. “You're beautiful.”

Ignis flushed at the praise. His shirt fluttered to the floor behind him. 

Strong hands carefully, reverently, grazed his stomach, mapping out the planes of his abdomen. They slipped around his waist, sliding down to his hips, thumbs pressing into the skin.

“You act as if you've never seen me shirtless,” Ignis said, being tugged forward, in between Gladio's spread thighs. He gasped silently when a mouth, followed closely by a hot tongue, closed around his nipple. His own hand found Gladio's hair, gripping gently.

Gladio grinned at the response. “Seein' you shirtless in the trainin' hall and having you strip for me in the privacy of my bedroom are two completely different things,” he said, letting his lips brush against Ignis' nipple as he spoke. “Bet you can guess which one I prefer.”

Ignis moaned softly, relishing the feeling of Gladio's tongue. Another gasp escaped his lips when those strong hands cupped the back of his thighs, lifting him with ease until he was straddling Gladio's lap. Tightening his hand in Gladio's hair, he yanked the older man's head back and drew him into a heated kiss.

There was an appreciative growl and Gladio's hands smoothed up Ignis' bare back. He leaned back onto the bed, Ignis going with him, never once letting up on the kiss.

**-Sleep-**

Ignis sat by the prince's bedside, Gladiolus in the chair to his right, with the King and his shield opposite.

He glanced down to the prince, watching his chest rise and fall with every slow breath. Fresh, white bandages covered his right arm past the elbow, the left only had a few inches peeking out from under his sleeve. 

King Regis had the young prince's left hand held gently in his own trembling ones. Tears stained his face these days, deep purple bruises making a home underneath his eyes.

Ignis thought the prince may have looked as if he was merely sleeping, if he hadn't been this way for two months. If he hadn't of had the IV in his arm, the heart monitor attached to his chest, wires snaking out from the neck of his shirt.

Blood spotted the clean, white bandages, staining them, ruining the image.

Ignis would have much preferred for the prince to only be sleeping. Just asleep.

**-City-**

The top was down, sun shining, warming the skin, tanning them. It would burn them if not for the suncreen Prompto insisted they use, slathering the cream over the exposed parts of their arms and faces.

The wind whipped their hair in their faces, sunglasses just barely protecting their eyes from the assault.

Prompto brought his instant camera up to his eye, closing one tightly, and grinning. “Say cheese!” 

Noctis rolled his eyes, shoving a hand towards the blond right as the picture snapped, popping up at the top of the camera for Prompto to snatch away, waving it between his fingers. “You're gonna run out of film before we even leave the city,” he pointed out.

“Nah,” Prompto said, opening the glove compartment. “I brought two spare packs just for this trip.” He tossed the photo in the compartment, snapping it shut with a flick of his wrist.

“Aren't they, like, ten pictures each?”

Prompto nodded. He pulled a lever and lounged his seat back, basking in the sun, watching as the skyscrapers shrunk, quickly turning into apartment buildings. “I got my phone, too,” he said, wiggling the device from his back pocket. “How far is Galdin Quay again?”

“Six hours,” Noctis answered. He signalled and turned onto the freeway.

“Gods, I can't wait,” Prompto grinned. “It's my first time out of the city.”

Noctis laughed, shaking his head lightly. “I know. You've only told me about a billion times.”

“Rude,” the blond pouted, the effect completely ruined by his grin. “It's only been a million.”

**-Yellow-**

Breathing hurt, so Gladio slowed his breath. In through his nose, out through his mouth.

He hissed in pain, teeth clacking together sharply. He could taste blood on his lip, on his gums, on his tongue, in the back of his throat.

He twitched his fingers, hands jerking with the movement. They didn't seem to be broken. Carefully, slowly, he raised one arm. More pain shot through his arm but he perservered. It landed with a heavy thud on his hip and he inched it up his stomach to his chest, checking his injuries.

Bandages met his fingers, wrapped around his stomach. They reached all the way up to his chest, extending over his left shoulder.

He cracked an eye open, fighting the crust that strived to keep them closed.

The warm glow of a fire was the first thing he saw. Yellows and reds and oranges dancing in the flames.

He was alive. He survived. This was real.

The last thing he could remember was fighting Gilgamesh. He grimaced as he recalled the sting of his blade, knicking his forehead, probably giving him a new scar. 

He took a breath, too deep, and let out a cut off cry, biting his lip hard. That would be from the second swing. The one that had nearly sliced Gladio in two. It will definitely give him a new scar.

He didn't remember finishing the fight, couldn't say who won and who lost.

Opening his eyes again, the stars twinkled and winked back at him.

“You're finally awake,” a voice said, firm but Gladio could hear the relief in it. “Would have been a shame if you died after besting Gilgamesh,” Cor said.

“Could have put it on my grave,” Gladio joked, voice hoarse from disuse. A short laugh answered. He rolled his head over, towards the fire, and spotted Cor watching him, tin mug in his hand. “How long was I out?”

Cor stood, grabbing a bottle of water as he made his way around the fire. “About two days. Drink.” He crouched, bottle open, and help Gladio to sit up, just enough to take a few sips before the strain was too much. “The potion stitched you up enough to keep you alive,” Cor explained.

“Got anymore?”

“It was my last.”

Gladio closed his eyes, sighing. “Give me another day to rest, day and a half tops,” he said. He didn't hear the reply, dull throbbing ache lulling him back to sleep.

**-Hate-**

Hate was an all consuming emotion. 

Ardyn had learned this well, millenia ago when his brother stole his birth right from him. When the Gods turned their backs on him. When the new Oracle turned her nose up at him. When the people shunned him, spat at him, pelted him with their stones and their words.

He learned it when they tried to kill him. Tying him down, leaving him to rot on that island, in that prison.

It festered in him as he waited for death to take him, first under the surface, then leaking from his pores, oozing black and viscous. Becoming all encompassing, becoming all he knew.

It was in that prison that Ardyn stayed. He had lost count when the days turned into weeks turned into months. He vaguely wondered if Somnus still lived. If he ever regretted what he did.

Snorting to himself, the sound hollow even in his own ears, he shook his head. Of course he wouldn't feel shame. He knew how his brother thought better than anyone. Knew he would do everything in his power to have Ardyn erased, a ghost on the wind, a figment of the peoples imagination. A person who never was.

Ardyn knew hate all too well. And he knew how to use it to his advantage.

**Author's Note:**

> My aunt used to have a cat named Silly (I think that's how she spelled it) when I was a teen, hence the name of Noct's garden cat.


End file.
